Choosing to Run
by Megan Grace
Summary: "All my life I've been running. I don't know why but over time, the people you can run to start to disappear." Rated M for later chapters, will contain violence, rape  maybe and stuff like that PLEASE READ
1. Chapter 1

Katarina POV

I can't remember a time when I haven't been running. All my life I have been running either away from of to someone or something. When I was younger, I think I was about five, I would always run to my father. I used to call him "papa" but not since the first time he beat me when I was eight. I think that was when the first part of my soul died and I can't remember ever loving him again.

** _Flashback _**

"Papa! Papa! Wake up! Wake up!" I shouted shrilly as I ran into Mama and Papa's bedroom. Laughing, I leapt onto their bed and started pawing at them in and effort to wake them up. Sleep wasn't important at a time like this, presents were!

"Katarina, go back to bed," Papa groaned as he rolled over. "I know it's your birthday but presents have to wait," Papa mumbled something else into his pillow but his voice was to muffled for me to hear.

I pouted and opened by chocolate brown eyes wider giving the world my best puppy face, just like Fido does, "Papa can we pretty please open my presents now?"

Grumbling, Papa yawns and slowly gets out of bed. Mama mimics his actions as she too awakens. Giggling and grinning like a goose, I race downstairs alternating between running and skipping. Tiredly Mama and Papa follow. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, Fido, runs up to me and pushes me to the ground, covering me in slobbery doggy kisses. I laugh and wriggle underneath his big fluffy body as I try and push him off. Suddenly his weight is lifted off me as Papa drags Fido away from me hitting him ferociously. I whimper slightly as his yelps of pain fill the room and my tears trickle slowly down my face, "Papa?" I question slowly, "Papa stop!" I watch in shock as slowly Fido stops moving. Sobbing I sit on the floor uncertain of where to run as I watched my father turn into a monster.

"Stop that disgusting crying Katarina!" Papa screamed at me before turning to grab a bottle of whiskey from the shelf. Terrified, I sniffle and struggle to stifle my sobs. Mama begins to walk over to me and as she takes me in her arms, Papa looks at her with hatred. "Put the child down at once Evdokiya!" slowly Mama puts me back on the floor and steps cautiously towards Papa.

"Andon, I was just going to take her to her room," Mama gently tries to pacify Papa.

"No! Katarina will stay here and you will go back upstairs, get ready for the day and remain there until I have need of you," I watched terrified as Mama gave me one last comforting glance before walking slowly up the stairs. When Papa heard the door close he turned to me with a malicious gleam in his eye and the whiskey bottle nearly empty in his hand. "It's time to teach you some manners Katarina, no husband will want to marry you if you continue to act like such a child," Papa began to walk slowly towards me. I whimpered and pushed myself up against the wall struggling to see him through tear filled eyes. Papa stops when he is about two metres away from me, "come here Katarina."

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><p><strong>AN: This is my first fanfiction and I decided to start off small to see how everyone liked it :) After I've read a couple of reviews I'll update (I've already written the rest of the flashback + more) and then you get to read the rest of Katarina's story and about the many trials that have made her the cold, heartless pain in the butt we all know and love :D **

**Hope you enjoyed it,**

**M x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I got a little confuzzled with where the story was going so now it is going into more detail about Katherine's childhood and will keep going past the whole child out of wedlock thingy and I've planned out up to where she meets Klaus :)**

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><p>I slowly started to get to my feet, wobbling slightly as I stood, "Papa?" I looked up at the man who was supposed to be my protector.<p>

"SHUT UP!" He screamed before slapping me. My hands flew to my cheek and I felt more tears fall onto my already damp cheeks as I looked at my feet unable to look into my father's face. "This is one of many lessons you must learn Katarina, never speak unless spoken to. I am afraid your Mother has let you become too spoilt and wild. It is time you learnt some respect!" Father gulped down the last of his whiskey. **(A/N:** **I'm surprised he hasn't cacked it due to alcohol poisoning)** Terrified I kept my gaze firmly on my feet think that if I couldn't see him then he couldn't hurt me.

This has to be a dream. Papa won't hurt me. I repeated this mantra inside my head as I heard him slowly taking off the belt around his tunic. "Every time you speak out of turn you will receive five lashes of the belt," he said coldly before turning me to face the wall and ripping my nightdress from my back. I gasped as I felt the leather hit my back. Tears rolled down my face as my back began to swell with each hit. "Every time you leave your room without being properly dressed, you will receive five lashes of the belt," His voice remained heartless as he then continued to hit my raw skin. "Every time you are seen with a man of any age unchaperoned, you will receive five lashes of the belt," I thought back to yesterday when Gavril, our stable boy, and I had been playing and I had looked up to see father looking out of his study window. "Every time you disappoint or anger me, I will beat you within an inch of your life," He gave me one last lash that was the hardest of them all before turning me to face him. "This is for your sake Katarina, I love you and I will not allow my only daughter to be ruined." He stroked my hair gently and I looked down at my feet, struggling not to flinch away from his hand. His grip on my hair hardened and he forced me to look him in the eye. "Do you understand Katarina?" I nodded and he pushed me away from him. "Go up to your room and I will send a maid to prepare you for the day. A seamstress will be here at noon to prepare your new dresses and from now on, I do not wish to see you out of your room without a corset." Father's voice washed harshly over me as I stumbled up the stairs, eager to get into my bedroom.

After Miss What's-Her-Name had finished torturing my injured back I lay down in my bed to await the seamstress. At a 11:30 What's-Her-Name informed me that Father had hired a maid who was in charge of my learning, schedule and welfare as he had deemed Mama unsuitable and to lenient to take care of me who would arrive tomorrow morning. What's Her Name then proceeded to tell me that her name was not "What's-Her-Name" and that I was to call her Missus Fidanka. After Miss _Fidanka_ had tackled my unruly hair into an artful bun, she dressed me in my undergarment before telling me to stay in my room until she returned with the seamstress.

I glanced up to see Miss Fidanka barging her way into my room. "Haven't you every heard of knocking?" I snarled in the fiercest voice I could muster.

"I'm going to pretend you did not just speak out of turn Katarina otherwise I might have the terrible duty of reporting you to your father," Miss Fidanka said, smirking slightly. I decided to take the safest option and to look at my feet. Miss Fidanka sighed in annoyance and pulled me into a standing position and I felt the seamstress's hands roughly measure me with a tape.

"Hold out your arms," The seamstress's nasal voice grated against my ears but I did so without complaint and only looked up when I heard her rustling about in her bag. My eyes widened as she pulled out a stiff looking piece of clothing and I flinched as she placed it over my shift and began to tie the lacing at the back. "Suck in girl!" she said loudly and I did my best not to breathe as together, Miss Fidanka and the seamstress forced my eight year old body into a tight corset.

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><p><strong>AN: I know my chapters are really short and they are going to get longer I promise, I just find it easier to start with shorter chapters. Next chapter is going to be skipping to when Katherine is age 12 and meeting her first potential husbands :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Katherine is now age 12 :D Hope you enjoy reading this :)**

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><p>When my father had told me that I would be meeting potential husbands I was horrified. Nanny had betrayed me in the worst way possible by telling father that I was a woman.<p>

When Nanny had first come to our house to care for me I hated her with a passion. It was her fault that my time with Mama was limited to only half and hour a day. In my mind, everything was either Father's fault of Nanny's. Over the years I grew to care for Nanny and to have her tell father when I bled (Down there) made me cry when I hadn't cried since I was eight. She knew exactly what Father would do if he found out but she told him anyway and now I was awaiting my Father's inspection as I stood in one of his favourite dresses **(A/N: Dress on profile)**. As Father walked slowly into the room his eyes travelled coldly over me,

"The corset needs to be tighter." That was all he said before walking out of the room. I almost felt like crying but I carefully kept the cold mask that I wore in place. Sighing Nanny unbuttoned the back of the dress before pulling the lacings on the corset in tighter until I could only take in the smallest of breaths. Nanny then led me into our atrium where a throne like chair had been placed and a small stool next to it. When Father finally decided to make his appearance there were already two men waiting outside the door. Father sat in his chair and gestured for me to sit on the stool. Feeling slightly put out at the fact that I had to sit on a stool rather than a chair, I watched as Father called our footman, Pavel, into the atrium and ordered him to allow our guests to enter. All the staff had been drilled on the proceedings for today while I sat here like a fool with no idea what was going on. I watched with dread as Pavel went to open the door.

"Good morning Sir's," Pavel greeted the two men. I kept my eyes trained at the ground; I had no urge to meet any of the men who might marry me one day. I almost felt like an animal waiting to be sold off to the highest bidder. Both of the men ignored Pavel and I heard their footsteps coming closer and could practically feel their gaze burning into me.

"Greetings! Marko and Viktor I would like to introduce my only child and heir, Katarina," I stood gracefully and allowed each man to bend down and kiss my hand. Both Marko and Viktor were much taller than me and I assumed that they in their mid-twenties. After the released my hand I sat back down on the stool, determined not to glance upon their faces. It was Marko that spoke next, his voice was deep and he had a strange accent,

"I thought you led us to believe that your daughter was a maiden of only twelve years of age?" My father laughed and I felt his "proud" gaze upon me.

"Katarina is extremely well developed and has none of the childish qualities of mind that accompany many young ladies of her age," I almost felt like laughing. The only reason I didn't have any _childish qualities_ was because he had beaten them out of me.

"She really is stunning but I am afraid that is not enough. Both Marko and I have some questions concerning her inheritance," Viktor said, his voice loud and obnoxious. If I had been able to even breathe in this damn corset I would have tried to smack all of them.

"If you would be so kind as to accompany me into my study I will show you the documents that explain exactly what the husband of my dear daughter will be entitled to," I heard the smugness in my father's voice as he walked them towards his office. I wonder which documents he was going to show them as, last time I checked, we were nearly bankrupt.

When the three men had finished discussing the non-existent inheritance, Viktor and my father continued to talk and had assumed that Marko was with them until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I must say Miss Katarina, you really are a sight to beholden but I am afraid I have yet to see your eyes as you have not deigned either myself or Viktor with a glance since we have arrived," I swallowed back a groan and gave Marko my coldest glare. Honestly, I find it revolting that he finds me attractive. In my opinion, twelve is too young to be of interest to a man of his age. "I can't imagine what a _pleasure_ you will be when you turn 16 and are ready for our wedding night," Marko is looking down at me with a strange glint in his eyes and I feel my façade waver with shock before I say disdainfully,

"There are many more men scheduled to ask for my hand, Sir, many of which are quite possibly richer and better positioned than you." Icily, I walk to Father. As I stand beside Father I notice that my head reaches just past Viktor's elbow and he is looking at me quite peculiarly. Confidently I glare right back at him, daring him to make a comment of some sort. He doesn't. Viktor simply gives me a small smirk before saying his farewells to my father and I watched in relief as he and Marko leave. I look to my father to be dismissed so that I may spend my assigned half hour with Mama before returning to see more suitors. Father gives me I sharp nod and I leave the room in a ladylike fashion before running out onto the moors behind the house to meet mother in our picnic place under the biggest tree for miles.

"Mama!" I allow myself to squeal excitedly before dropping down on the picnic blanket beside her. Hungrily I pick up a small apple and begin to chew.

"Hello darling, I trust you are pleased to meet your possible betrotheds?" I roll my eyes and quickly swallow my apple before replying,

"Really Mama, would you be happy to meet a pair of stuck up young males who pretend to be gentlemen?" I smile wickedly and continue before she can answer, "I was quite appalled with their manners as one didn't talk to me at all and the other was treating me like an object. I found it quite demeaning." I harrumphed grumpily as Mama laughed,

"Katarina that is men for you, I pray that one day you will find a man that loves you and cares for you the way a man should instead of the horrible attitude towards women that is becoming to popular in society these days." I sigh wistfully because I know the truth. I am going to be trapped in the life of obedient object, plaything and baby maker for whoever has enough money to but it.

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><p><strong>AN: See, getting longer :D hope you enjoyed this chapter and I am quite happy with the way things are heading. Next chapter Katherine with think that she has fallen in love, bear a child and do something drastic but hey, she gets a cool present :P (you'll find out what I'm talking about later) love you all!**

**M x**


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